WCO Open Day for Trade Reinforces Customs-Business Partnership

Although this was a WCO-ICC event, IFCBA Secretary Carol West spoke on the opening panel, with WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica and Mr. Nabyl Lakhdar, Director, Facilitation and Information Technology, Moroccan Customs Administration.  Speaking in her role as Chair of the WCO Private Sector Consultative Group, Ms. West presented some PSCG and personal views about the Private Sector Perspective: A Shared Vision for Future Collaboration.

International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

The following is excerpted from a 25 June 2011 press release by the World Customs Organization.

In the lead up to the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Sunday 26 June 2011, the World Customs Organization calls on its 177 Members all over the world to demonstrate once again that the Customs community as a whole is mobilized to combat this scourge in solidarity with other organizations forming part of the United Nations System...

This release is available in its entirety on the World Customs Organization website at:

 

ICC and WCO sign agreement to strengthen working partnership

The following is excerpted from an 27 June 2011 news release by the International Chamber of Commerce.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO) today signed a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sets out working activities between the two parties.

The signing took place as part of a two-day conference, entitled Open Day for Trade, hosted by WCO at its headquarters in Brussels. The aim of the event was to encourage the sharing of information, knowledge and experience between leaders and experts from both the customs and business communities.

This release is available in its entirety on the International Chamber of Commerce website at:

Cooperation and partnerships emphasized at 2011 WCO Council Sessions

The following is excerpted from a 25 June 2011 press release by the World Customs Organization.

Heads of Customs administrations representing the 177 Members of the World Customs Organization met in Brussels from 23-25 June 2011 for the annual Sessions of the WCO Council, the Organization’s highest decision-making body.

This year the Council focused on key topical issues impacting the global trading system – illicit and dangerous trade, global supply chain security, air cargo security, and trade facilitation – while recognizing the critical supportive role played by capacity building, information-sharing, research and knowledge promotion...

This release is available in its entirety on the World Customs Organization website at:

WTO trade facilitation deal to reduce trade costs and boost trade

Director-General Pascal Lamy, in a speech at the World Customs Organization in Brussels on 24 June 2011, said that the implementation of the Trade Facilitation measures discussed in Geneva could reduce total trade costs by almost 10 per cent. “Every extra day required to ready goods for import or export decreases trade by around 4%”. This is why a trade facilitation deal in the Doha Round would be a “tremendous value for our trading communities and in particular for many of our small and medium enterprises”. He commended the close cooperation between the WTO and the WCO, particularly in technical assistance, and suggested further collaboration in using the “Made in the World” approach to measuring international trade flows.

The entire speech is available on the WTO website at:http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/sppl_e/sppl197_e.htm
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